Sunday 19 October 2014 23:10, UK
The Indianapolis Colts clinched a fifth straight NFL win after easing to a 27-0 success against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Bengals (3-2-1) started the season with three straight wins but have now gone almost a month without victory as their chances of topping the AFC North continue to diminish.
The Colts (5-2), meanwhile, are one-and-a-half games clear at the top of the AFC South after another assured display in front of their own fans.
Quarterback Andrew Luck finished with 344 passing yards and two scores through the air, which went to Dwayne Allen and Ahmad Bradshaw.
Adam Vinitieri opened the scoring with a 23-yard field goal before Bradshaw powered into the end zone from one-yard out to increase the lead to 10 points at half-time.
The Bengals were missing their top offensive weapon – wide receiver AJ Green – and his absence was sorely felt as they struggled to find big plays throughout the contest.
Allen grabbed the only touchdown of the third quarter before Bradshaw killed the game off in the fourth as he caught a 10-yard pass from Luck. Vinitieri added a second field goal before the end.
The shutout was the first the Colts had inflicted since 2008 and the first Cincinnati had suffered since 2009. The 11 punts the Bengals were forced into tied a franchise record.
